Wiper blade attachment



July 2, 1940. M, ZAIGER 2,206,343

WIPER BLADE ATTACHMENT Filed April 3, 1939 Patented July 2, 1940 t UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to wipers for cleaning rain or snow from the windshields of automobiles or the like, and pertains 4more particularly to improvements in the attachments for connecting the wiper blade to the wiper arm.

Thes'ubject matter of the present invention constitutes a further development of and improvement upon the attachments disclosed in my Patents `{NOS}` 2,149,037, 2,153,224, and 2,153,225.

The principal purpose of the present invention is to provide a wiper blade attachment which permits the Wiper' arm to be swung through an angle approaching ninety degrees with relation to the wiper blade while preserving the security l5 of the connection between arm and blade. For

this purpose, I have provided an attachment comprising a saddle member rigidly fastened to the blade or blade holder, and a clip pivoted to the saddle and having means similar to those shown in `my said Patent No. 2,153,224, for connecting thereto` a wiper arm having either a U-shaped attaching portion, or a hook-type end, or a screwed-on type of end portion.

l'urther objects of the invention relate to the $5 provision of a clip having a pivoted locking hook for engaging a slot in the U-shaped attaching portion and securing the end of that type of arm against unintentional detachment from the clip; the` provision 'of a novel form of clip which may 80 be pivoted as aforesaid to the saddle member and which `comprises the resilient extensions for yieldingly gripping the wiper arm and the rearwardly bent nger for holding the end of the wiper arm, as shown in said Patent No. 2,153,224;

. 35 and the provision of an improved form of attachment for connecting the ends of the spring yoke illustrated in said Patent No. 2,149,037 to the wiper blade or blade holder.

Recommended embodiments of the present in- `40 vention are shown in the accompanying drawing,

but it will be understood that the use of the nvention is not intended to be limited to the structural details of the illustrated devices, except as the same may be set forth in the appended claims. 45 In said drawings,

, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one form of. the improved attachment, showing the locking hook securing the end of a wiper arm having a U- shaped attaching portion; 50 Fig. 2 is a plan view, to larger scale, of th attachment shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof with the Wiper arm removed and the hook in open position;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section on line 4`4 of l to straddle the holder Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are side elevations of a modi` ed form of pivotally connected clip (omitting the hook of Fig. l), illustrating the use of, the same clip for holding wiper arms having a U- shaped attaching portion, a hooked end and a screwed-on end, respectively;

Fig. 48 is a plan view of a metal `blank from which the clip shown in Figs. 5 to 7 is produced;

Fig. 9 is a side elevation (with parts in section) showing the springyoke form of blade atl0 tachment provided with a clip formed from the blank of Fig. 8 and having its ends pivoted to the blade holder at fixed positions; and

Fig. 10 is an enlarged plan view of the clip shown in Fig. 9. In the particular embodiment chosenfor the purpose of illustration in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, the improved attachment comprises a saddle member II formed of two complemental metal pieces having the lower portions bent outwardly 2o I2 of the rubber wiper blade I3, to which the saddle is rigidly fastened by rivet I 4, and a. clip I5 having complemental side members applied to opposite sides of the upward extension of the saddle, and pivoted thereto by a pin or rivet I6. The side members of the clip are also connected by a rivet I'I which serves as a pivot for the locking hook I8, hereinafter described. v

One end of. the clip is provided with resilient extensions I9 which project upwardly from the respective side members thereof in operative relation to receive and grip the 'wiper arm 20, in substantially the same manner as explained in my said Patent No. 2,153,224; and the side members at the opposite or forward ends of the clip are formed with upwardly and rearwardly projecting fingers 2I which overlie the said side members and serve to confine and retain the forward end of the U-shaped attaching member 22, as also 40 explained in said patent.

' These U-shaped wiper arm attaching members are invariably formed with a slot 23 in the at top thereof, as best shown in Fig. 2. In order to securely hold that type of arm end in my clip, I have provided the locking hook I8 which has a tip 24 receivable in said slot 23 when the pivoted hook is swung to locking position as shown in Fig. 1. The hook member I8 is pivoted at II between the upwardlybent fingers 2l of. the side 60 member of the clip, as previously indicated; and the hook is formed with a side projection or detent 25 which engages in an opening 26 to hold the hook member in such locking position, as best shown in Fig. 4. The hook also has a projection 5I 21 so that it may be easily disengaged from locking position by the linger o1' the user.

A clip formed as above described may be swung on the pivot I 6 through an arc of approximately ninety degrees or until the rear end of the clip is substantially upright with respect to the wiper blade I2 and saddle I I. This feature ensures that the connection between arm and blade will be secure irrespective of the operating angle between the wiper arm and the wiper blade, so that .the blade I3 will properly engage the windshield surface regardless or the location of the motor which actuates the arm. Furthermore, the arm may be easily connected to the clip in a variety of relative positions between the arm and the blade, as may be most convenient to the user.

The form of clip shown in Figs". 5 to '1 is made yfrom a. blank shaped as shown in Fig. 8, and is arm ends as shown in Figs. 5 to 7 respectively,

the ends of the ngers ZI being bent together to form an opening 39 (Fig. 10) for receiving the tip end of the hook type arm of Fig. 6; and side members 32 having openings 36 to receive a screw 31 for holding the screw-type arm end of Fig. 7. 'I'he holes 33 of said sides receive the rivet I6 which pivotally connects the clip to the saddle II. These three' modes of attachment between the clip and the respective arm types is also explained in my aforesaid Patent No. 2,153,224.

In the forms illustrated in Figs. 9 and 1.0, the clip 3|, just described, is pivoted at 4I to a saddle member 42 which embraces and is rigidly attached to a flat spring yoke 43 the ends of which are inserted and retained within channeled portions of end saddles 44, by means of detents 45 'struck inwardly from the tops of said saddles and received in openings 46 in the respective ends of the yoke. The saddles M are connected to the blade holder I2 by rivets 41 which permit the saddles to be swung on these pivots, but which hold the two saddles in fixed relative position with respect to each other, as compared with the sliding connection at one end which is shown in my said Patent No. 2,149,037. By iixin'g the ends of the yoke in the manner just explained, full advantage may he taken of the resiliency of the spring yoke, and the blade is held against the windshield with iirm and uniformpressure throughout its length.

I claim:

1. A wiper blade attachment of the character clin.

2. A wiper blad'attachment of the character described, comprising a saddle member connectarm from the clip, the clip having integral resilient extensions for receiving and yieldingly gripping the wiper arm, and a rearwardly bent nnger at its opposite endithnger having an opening for receiving the-end of a hook type wiper arm.

3.A wiper blade attachment of the character described, comprising a saddle member connectable to the blade, a clip for holding the end of a wiper arm, and means pivotally connecting the clip to the saddle so that the clip and wiper arm maybe swung through a substantial arc relative to the blade, without disconnecting the arm from the clip, the clip having integral resilient extensions for receiving and yieldingly gripping the wiper arm, and an upwardly and rearwardly bent linger at its opposite end for holding the forward end of an arm having a U-shaped attaching portion provided with a slot therein, and a hook member pivoted to said iinger and having a tip engageable in said slot.

4. A wiper blade attachment of the character described, comprising a saddle member connectable to the blade, a clip for holding the end of a wiper arm, means pivotally connecting the clipto the saddle so that the clip and wiper arm may be swung through a substantial arcrelative to the blade, without disconnecting the arm from the clip, and a hook member pivotally connected to the clip and having a tip engageable in the slot of the U-shaped attaching member of the wiper arm ,to releasably secure the arm to the clip.

5. A blade attachmentof the class described, comprising a saddle member adapted to straddle the blade and to be aiiixed thereto, and having an upwardly projecting portion, a clip comprising side members having complemental resilient extensions at the rearward end thereof for receiving and gripping a wiper arm, and complemental ngers projecting upwardly and,\ rearwardly at the opposite end thereof to hold the forward end of the arm, a pin pivotally connecting the upward extension of the saddle between the side members of the clip so that the clip may be swung through a substantial arc with respect to the blade, and a locking hook pivotally connected to the clip between its side members and engageable with the end of the arm held in the clip to secure the same against unintentional displacement.

6. A wiper blade attachment of the character described, comprising a saddle member connectable to the blade, a clip for holding the end of a wiper arm, means pivotally connecting the clip to the saddle so that the clip and wiper arm may -be swung through a substantial arc relative to the blade,`without disconnecting the arm from the blade, said clip having resilient extensions for yieldingly gripping the wiper arm remote from its end, and means Acarried by the clip forrestraining forward and upward movement of the forward end of the arm. Y

MAXZAIGER. 

